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Is an earthcache just a virtual with a logging requirement?


Coldgears

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Earthcaches share some similarities with Virtuals, particularly the fact that there's no container.

 

The point of an Earthcache is to educate geocachers about the site. The logging requirements are intended to show that learning has occurred, not simply that you were there.

 

Unfortunately, Groundspeak has taken to bullying Earthcache owners who actually try to enforce these guidelines. Now that cachers CAN log an Earthcache without demonstrating that learning has occurred, Earthcaches really aren't much more than a Virtual, which is a shame.

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An earthcache is like a virt, and in many appropriate locations replaces them, but unlike virts they do not necessarily consider historical, cultural, or even scientific learning topics like flora and fauna.

 

In National Parks, a place virts were designed for, EC's are now the only "learning" caches. Locked out are interesting topics like the largest redwood tree in namesake Sequoia NP, bison at Yellowstone, ancient Pueblo indians at Mesa Verde.

Edited by bthomas
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Is an earthcache just a virtual with a logging requirement?

 

If that is what you seek, then that is what you will find. So, quite possibly that is all you will find - a lame excuse of a cache that violates two significant cache guidelines.

 

If you seek to discover the world's geological features around you and to learn, then you may find that an earthcache is special place that people can visit to learn about a unique geoscience feature or aspect of our Earth.

 

Earthcache sites explained.

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Unfortunately, Groundspeak has taken to bullying Earthcache owners who actually try to enforce these guidelines.

 

How is that happening? Discussions over people who got their finds deleted or something?

 

Yes, something like that. It does not seem "bullying" to me and are just trying to keep peace.

 

Reportedly, some cache owners trying to ensure non-bogus "find logs" on caches have been told to allow logs. There's been a bit of a tussle about photo requirements, too.

 

Admittedly, some interventions probably seem quite irritating, but probably not bullish.

 

For insight, check out a thread starting about here....

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Earthcaches share some similarities with Virtuals, particularly the fact that there's no container.

 

The point of an Earthcache is to educate geocachers about the site. The logging requirements are intended to show that learning has occurred, not simply that you were there.

 

Unfortunately, Groundspeak has taken to bullying Earthcache owners who actually try to enforce these guidelines. Now that cachers CAN log an Earthcache without demonstrating that learning has occurred, Earthcaches really aren't much more than a Virtual, which is a shame.

 

Interesting. I have two Earthcaches, and for some unknown reason, boatloads of newbs visit the one (which has a photographic and learning requirement), and think they can just log that they were there. And I swear on a stack of bibles (on Easter, no less), that this has never once happened on my other Earthcache.

 

To answer the question, yes, they are pretty much just virtuals. There have been persistant rumors that the GSA paid money to Groundspeak for Earthcaches to be listed on Geocaching.com, but a reviewer I know insists that no money ever changed hands. And he ain't ever lied to me (yet).

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Earthcaches are a special cache type, administered under special arrangements with the Geological Society of America, and published under their own special listing guidelines.

 

There is even a special forum section for earthcaches. I am moving your thread to there from the Geocaching Topics forum.

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How is that happening? Discussions over people who got their finds deleted or something?

 

If you want to log an Earthcache but don't want to do the work, you can simply send a bunch of bogus and/or sarcastic answers to the owner, log your find, and then complain to Groundspeak when your log is deleted. Groundspeak will tell the owner that he/she must allow you to log a find.

 

I would love to see other initiatives similar to Earthcaching, for other fields of interest. I'm looking forward to the day when Groundspeak realizes that most of are not going to embrace the massive fail that is Waymarking.

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Is an earthcache just a virtual with a logging requirement?

 

If that is what you seek, then that is what you will find. So, quite possibly that is all you will find - a lame excuse of a cache that violates two significant cache guidelines.

 

 

wth is that supposed to mean? :lol:

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All virtuals have a logging requirement, or at least they are supposed to. The idea is that you actually visited site and found the object you are intended to find. The problem is that is sometimes it is difficult to come up with a verification question that can only be answered by someone how has visited the site. Some people who never visit the cache, might find the answer on the internet and log a find. TPTB have indicated that such logs are bogus and should be deleted, but unless the log says that they are armchair logging, a cache owner can not tell if the cache was visited or not. Some cache owners ask for a photo of the cacher or of the GPSr to prove the cache was visited.

 

It appears that some EarthCache owners were using the photo requirement as substitute for asking questions related to the geology of the location. The guideline for EarthCaches appear to now only allow photos that are specifically related to geology and not for showing the geocacher or their GPSr was at the site. The makes it much harder for EarthCache owners who need to find questions that not only demonstrate geological knowledge but also show the cacher was indeed at the site.

 

One issue seems to be a desire by EarthCache.org to emphasize the educational aspect of an EarthCache, while Geocaching.com and purist geocache owners want to emphasize the visited aspect of EarthCaches and virtual caches.

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